Biographical Profile of Honorable Servant of God Anna Kolesárová

Anna Kolesárová was born on 14 July 1928 in Vysoká nad Uhom. She was baptized in the parish church of St. John the Baptist in Pavlovce nad Uhom. When she was ten years old, her mother died. After her death, she took on herself all her chores which she had carried out dutifully. She continued to live in one household with her father and older brother. On May 14, 1938, she received the Sacrament of Reconciliation, shortly before the Sacrament of the Holy Communion. Anna regularly went to church and to prayers, received the sacraments. She liked to pray the Holy Rosary.

The Second World War has significantly affected the life of this girl. On Wednesday, November 22, 1944, the Red Army troops passed through their village. During home inspection, a drunken Soviet soldier came in to a cellar under the kitchen, where sixteen year old Anna was hiding with her family and other people.

Father asked daughter to prepare something to eat for the soldier, but he started to harass the young girl and urge her to give herself to him. But she, despite his threats to shoot her, refused it and choose the death instead. She broke free from his hands and ran back to the cellar. The angry soldier hurried after her, pointing the gun and yelling at her to say goodbye to her father. Immediately thereafter, he carried out this threat and fired two shots before her father’s eyes. Anna died while calling the names of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.

Because of the endless fighting in the village, she was buried the next day late in the evening and without a priest. The funeral ceremony was later performed by the then parish priest Anton Lukáč only on 29 November 1944. After the church funeral, he wrote a note into the register of deaths: hostia sanctae castitatis (host of holy purity). He added in the parish chronicle in Pavlovce nad Uhom, that Anna, when boldly and without hesitation defending her purity, was strengthened by the Eucharistic Christ, because shortly before she had received the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Holly Communion.

ABOUT ANNA

Anka was born on 14th July 1928 in Vysoká nad Uhom and her parents - Ján Kolesár, called "Hruška" and Anna, nee Kušnírová - took her immediately on the second day to church to baptize her.

Her father was strict, but righteous. In her tenth Anka lost her mum and she had to take on care of their household and substitute their mother to older brother Michal. Because of the duties she didn´t have time to visit her friends, therefore they visited her and then they went together to holy mass or litany.

Anka´s life was very simple. She was a girl, who paid attention to her reputation and purity. She regularly went to church and to prayers, took sacraments. Every Sunday she visited their neighbours called Pohorínovci, where they prayed rosary together.

During crossing of group of armies at the end of WW II people in Vysoká nad Uhom were hidden in their cellars. Also Ján Kolesár - Hruška together with his family and neighbours was in the cellar under the kitchen. During the house - search one drunk Russian soldier came in.

"Haňka, give him something to eat, he must be hungry",

said the father to his sixteen years old daughter.

For severals days the girl was worn in mother´s dark black clothes to make an impression of an adult woman and to protect her virginity. As she came into the kitchen, after a while the soldier started to press her to give herself. Despite all the theats, she rejected. The soldier started to order her around and Anka had to fight with him. When she managed to snatch herself out of his hands, she ran into the cellar.

Because of unfailing fights in the village Anka was burried secretaly following day at night and without a priest. The funeral was celebrated by a local parish priest called Anton Lukáč in 29th November 1944. Immediately after it he wrote to the parish register: Hostia santae castitalis (sacrifice of purity).

So on 22nd November 1944 life of a young girl - martyr was finished. This girl chose rather death than loss of her virginity.

There is a record about it in the parish chronicle in Pavlovce nad Uhom, year 1944. This record was written by parish priest Anton Lukáč, general vicar for Užhorod deanery. This event was confirmed by signatures of five witnesses.

According to the record of the priest Anna was encouraged by Eucharistic Christ, because just a while ago she took confession and holy communion.

In 1944 general vicar for Užhorod deanery Anton Lukáč, a parish priest in Pavlovce nad Uhom, wrote to the parish chronicle about Anka Kolesárová this:

The first sentries of Russian army arrived at Vysoká on 22nd November at night. There was one drunk Russian soldier who during the house search came into one cellar where people were hidden. Anka Kolesárová, daughter of Ján Kolesár (Hruška) and the dead Anna Kušnírová was one of them. She was 16 years old.

When this Russian soldier noticed her, he started to pull her out threating her that if she didn´t give herself, he would shoot her. But she didn´t do that and chose death. She was strenghten by holy corpus of Jesus Christ, because just a while ago she took confession and holy communion. Russian shot 16 years old girl by two shots before the eyes of her father.

Nobody of human beings is able to give life to other man, therefore nobody can take it, even if it is his own life. Because life and dignity are given to us by God, it is our duty to preserve both of them. But if somebody makes a decision to pretect morel values even at the cost of his death, it is not a sin, because the values which are worthy dying give beauty and sense to our lives.

What Anka Kolesárová did is a heroic deed worthy admiring. Not everybody would be able to do something like this - to die for purity.